Collapsible game board and case

ABSTRACT

A collapsible game board having a plurality of rectangular shaped sections joined side by side at a lengthwise edge by a flexible member. The flexible member enables the sections to be folded into a generally rectangular shape with a hollow cavity therethrough. A plurality of closing elements are attached to the game board and are operatively arranged to magnetically interact to secure the game board in a folded configuration or around a case. The rectangular shaped sections preferably have a game design imprinted on one side. Alternatively, either a plurality of strips of the flexible member can be adhered at joints where the lengthwise edge of the rectangular shaped sections meet or a single sheet of the flexible material can be adhered to every rectangular shaped section opposite the game design.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to a game board, more particularly to acollapsible game board that is comprised of incrementally widerlongitudinal segments that are adhered to a flexible backing on thenon-playing side of the board. The game board can also include closingelements that are operatively arranged to magnetically secure the gameboard closed or connected to a case that can hold game pieces.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Game boards that are foldable or collapsible are known. Conventionalgame boards are designed to be folded to ease the storage of the gameboard. Some game boards (e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 538,380 (McKenzie) and U.S.Pat. No. 724,760 (Altena)) are designed to increase the portability ofgames such as chess or checkers. Game boards of this style are formedfrom multiple segments that are joined at the edge of the segments by aflexible material. The flexible material enables the segments to beunited into a single unit or board when in the unfolded configuration,or to be folded into a compact form. Game pieces can be held inside ahollow pocket that is formed after the game board is folded, however,the game pieces are not contained in a secure case and thus there is thepotential that pieces can be lost or damaged. If the pieces arecontained in a separate case, such as in the folding board disclosed byMcKenzie, the folding pattern of the board, and the size of the case,prevents the case and board from being combined into one compact unitfor easy transport. Also previous collapsible game boards either lackclosing elements, or the closing elements and folding pattern are notconducive for easy and swift folding.

The quintessential characteristic and goal of a folding game board ofthis type is its capability of being transported easily. Consequently,features that increase the portability of a game board are laudable.U.S. Pat. No. 6,196,546 (Iglesias) provides a game board that folds upfor easy transport using a locking latch that locks the game board inthe folded position. The game board is composed of several slats thathave hollow chambers in the slats that can be used to hold game pieces.Each slat of the game board has a trapezoidal shape that permits theboard to be rolled into an octagonal shape. The capacity to hold gamepieces is provided by this style of game board, but the individualcompartments are not large enough to hold all of the pieces. It is alsodifficult to place pieces into and/or remove them from these smallcompartments. Moreover, the locking latch, which secures the game boardin the folded position, requires that the board be folded in preciselythe same way each time and there is no means that assists the user infolding the board properly. If the board is not folded properly, thelocking latch will not be aligned properly and in those instances thelatch is useless.

What is needed, then, is a collapsible game board that can overcome theabove mentioned problems and that has closing elements that magneticallysecures the game board in a collapsed position. In some aspects, thegame board includes a case that assists in the folding of the game boardand that can hold game pieces and magnetically holds the game board in acollapsed position.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention broadly comprises a collapsible game board havinga plurality of rectangular shaped sections joined side by side at alengthwise edge by a flexible member. The flexible member enables thesections to be folded into a generally rectangular shape with a hollowcavity therethrough. A plurality of closing elements attached to thegame board are operatively arranged to magnetically interact to securethe game board in a folded configuration or around a case.

The collapsible game board can further comprise rectangular shapedsections that are progressively greater in width. A first section canhave a width that is less than successive sections, and the firstsection is preferably folded first when collapsing the game board. Insome aspects, a last section is wider than all other sections. Anopening tab can be attached to a longitudinal edge of the game boardthat can be used to open the game.

The rectangular shaped sections preferably have a game design imprintedon one side. Alternatively, either a plurality of strips of the flexiblemember can be adhered at joints where the lengthwise edge of therectangular shaped sections meet or a single sheet of the flexiblematerial can be adhered to every rectangular shaped section opposite thegame design.

In another preferred embodiment, the game board includes a case that thegame board can be folded around. The case can reside within the hollowcavity that is created when the game board is folded into a generallyrectangular shape. Two enlarged cap portions fixedly attached to theends of the case provide a guide that can prevent the game board fromsliding off of the case. The case can further include at least onecompartment capable of holding game pieces and the combination case andgame board can further include game pieces, such as chess pieces,checker pieces, backgammon pieces, or countless other game board pieces.The case preferably includes closing elements attached to the case andoperatively arranged to magnetically interact with the closing elementsdisposed on the game board. Preferably, the closing elements disposed onthe game board are operatively arranged to magnetically interact withthe closing elements disposed on the case. In some aspects, the closingelements on the game board and the case are magnetic or ferromagnetic.The closing elements on the case can be magnetic and/or ferromagnetic.The game board is preferably magnetically attachable to the case.

It is a general object of the invention to provide a game board that canbe foldable into a compact unit and that can be secured in a foldedconfiguration by closing elements that magnetically interact.

It is another object of the invention to provide a game board that isfoldable around a case that is capable of holding game pieces.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a game board that canbe secured magnetically to a case.

These and other objects, features, and advantages of the presentinvention will become readily apparent to those having ordinary skill inthe art upon reading the following detailed description of the inventionin view of the several drawings of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The nature and mode of operation of the present invention will now bemore fully described in the following detailed description of theinvention taken with the accompanying drawing figures, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a game board and case of the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the game board and case shown in FIG. 1with the game board partially unfolded;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the game board shown in FIG. 1 with thegame board unfolded and one section of the board still attached to thecase;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the game board shown in FIG. 1 with thegame board fully unfolded with a perspective view of the case partiallyshown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the top of the game board shown in FIG.1 completely unfolded;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the back of the game board shown in FIG.1 completely unfolded with a portion of the backing folded back toreveal a closing element;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the left side of the case partiallyshown in FIG. 3 with empty compartments;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the right side of the case partiallyshown in FIG. 3 with game pieces inside the compartments of the case;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the bottom of the case partially shownin FIG. 3; and,

FIG. 10 is a vertical cross section of a fully folded game board on thecase shown in FIG. 1 taken generally at line 10-10.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

At the outset, it should be appreciated that like drawing numbers ondifferent drawing views identify identical structural elements of theinvention. While the present invention is described with respect to whatis presently considered to be the preferred embodiments, it isunderstood that the invention is not limited to the disclosedembodiments. In the description below, the terms “upper”, “lower”,“front”, “back”, “left”, “right”, and their derivatives, should beinterpreted from the perspective of one viewing the game board as shownin FIG. 1.

Furthermore, it is understood that this invention is not limited to theparticular methodology, materials and modifications described and assuch may, of course, vary. It is also understood that the terminologyused herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodimentsonly, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used hereinhave the same meaning as commonly understood to one of ordinary skill inthe art to which this invention belongs. Although any methods, devicesor materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be usedin the practice or testing of the invention, the preferred methods,devices, and materials are now described.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of game 8 of the present invention, whichis comprised of game board 10 and case 40 (best shown in FIGS. 7 and 8),with game board 10 in the closed or fully folded position. It should beunderstood that game board 10 can be folded around case 40 or merelyfolded around itself. Game board 10 consists of a collapsible orfoldable game board with a plurality of slats or sections, where thefirst slat is designated as slat 12. Slat 12 has an opening tab 28connected to the middle of the longitudinal side of the perimeter of theslat. Opening tab 28 assists a user in unfolding game board 10. Openingtab 28 can be made from various substances which can include, but is notlimited to fabric, leather, vinyl, etc. In a preferred embodiment,opening tab 28 is constructed of synthetic leather and is attached togame board 10 with an adhesive. Opening tab 28 can be attached,constructed and positioned to game board 10 in various other ways andthe attachment means, construction and positioning of opening tab 28 isin no way limited to the preferred method and position described above.

In some aspects, game board 10 is folded around case 40 (best shown inFIGS. 7 and 8) between end caps 42 and 44 which are located on the endsof case 40. End caps 42 and 44 prevent game board 10 from sliding offthe ends of case 40 when it is in wrapped around the case. End caps 42and 44 are essentially square pieces that are attached to each end ofmain body 40 a of case 40. End caps 42 and 44 preferably extend outwardfrom main body 40 a of case 40 a distance equal to the thickness of gameboard 10 when it is folded about the case. In some aspects, the profileof end caps 42 and 44 is slightly larger then the profile of folded gameboard 10. This arrangement enables end caps 42 and 44 to hold a foldedgame board 10 slightly above the surface the case is placed upon,thereby protecting game board 10 from being marred or worn prematurelywhen the game 8 is placed on a surface. If the profile of folded gameboard 10 is slightly smaller than end caps 42, game board 10 will nottouch the surface that game board 10 (folded on case 40) is placed on.In one embodiment, end caps 42 and 44 are roughly 2″ square and gameboard 10, when in the fully folded position, forms a square that isroughly 2″ on each side. This preferred configuration delivers a gameboard and case combination that can be folded together and transportedas one compact unit.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of game 8 showing game board 10 partiallyunfolded from case 40. Slat 12 has been unsecured from case 40 bybreaking the magnetic hold provided by the interaction of closingelements 32 and 30, which are imbedded within the ends of slat 12, withclosing elements 52 and 54, respectively (best shown in FIGS. 7 and 8),which are imbedded within the top of case body 40 a. The front side ofgame board 10 has a game design of alternating black and white squares.The rear side of game board 10 has backing 38 attached, which isflexible and can cover the entire surface of the individual slats thatmake up game board 10. Backing 38 is preferably constructed of a durablesynthetic or natural paper which is resistant to tearing or wear thatmay be caused by repeated folding and unfolding of game board 10. Usinga paper backing material can reduce cost of manufacturing game board 10,but it is entirely within the spirit and scope of the invention to usematerial such as fabric or another flexible material. Backing 38 isadhered to individual slats using any adhesive known to one of ordinaryskill in the art. Alternatively, backing 38 can be sewn onto game board10 or the individual slats that make up game board 10. Backing 38 isshown covering the entire surface of the individual slats that make upthe game board. In other embodiments, backing 38 can be solely at thejoints between the individual slats, or thin ribbons of backing 38 canbe applied to the rear surface of the individual slats (not shown).Substituting a hinge for backing 38 is another possible alternative toenabling game board 10 to be foldable (not shown).

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of game board 10 entirely unfolded fromcase 40 with the exception for one slat. Slat 26 remains attached tocase 40 due to the magnetic interaction of closing elements 34 and 36,which are imbedded within the opposing ends of slat 26, with closingelements 58 and 60, respectively, which are imbedded within the leftside of case 40. As shown, case 40 has two separate compartments,compartment 46 and compartment 48 which are separated by divider 56.Game pieces 50 can be contained within compartments 46 and 48. Separatecompartments provide a way to organize game pieces 50 according to colorshould the game pieces be checker pieces, as shown, which tend to havedifferent colors assigned to opposing sides. Alternatively, the gamepieces could be chessmen or backgammon pieces. If an alternative designshould be applied to the surface of game board 10, such as the designpopularized by games like Scrabble™, Monopoly™, etc., game piecesappropriate for playing those games can be alternatively placed withincompartments 46 and 48 and included as part of game 8. It should beunderstood that case 40 can have one compartment, two compartments, or aplurality of compartments (not shown).

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the back of game board 10 fully unfoldedfrom case 40 with slat 26 unsecured from case 40 by releasing themagnetic interaction of closing elements 34 and 36, which are imbeddedwithin opposite ends of slat 26, to closing elements 60 and 62,respectively, imbedded within the left side of case 40. Case 40 is shownon top of the back of game board 10. Case 40 is positioned over slat 24of game board 10, which obscures slat 24. Although closing elements 34and 36 are shown positioned to magnetically interact with case closingelements 60 and 62, respectively, it should be understood that gameboard 10 can be repositioned on case 40 in numerous other ways. Forexample, closing element 34 and 36 can magnetically interact withclosing elements 52 and 54, 64 and 66, or 68 and 70, respectively.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the top of game board 10 completelyunfolded, sporting an alternating black and white pattern suitable forplaying checkers or chess. It should be appreciated that other gameboard designs or patterns can be applied to game board 10 and suchalternatives are considered within the spirit and scope of theinvention. In one embodiment, game board 10 is comprised of eightseparate rectangular shaped slats that are joined by backing 38. Inother embodiments, fewer or additional slats can be used. In oneembodiment of game board 10, 25 each successive slat that is attached toslat 12 is incrementally reduced in width. To demonstrate, if slat 12 is1.5″ wide then slat 14 would be 1.45″ wide, and so on. The change inwidth of the slats depends on the size of the overall board, thethickness of the slats and whether a case is used. If a case is used thesize of the case influences the width of the slats as well. In apreferred embodiment of game 8 where case 40 has bottoms and sides thatare 1.29″ wide, which game board 10 folds around, slat 12 is 1.71″;slats 14 and 16 are 1.59″; slats 18 and 20 are 1.47″; slats 22 and 24are 1.35″; and slat 26 is 1.29″. This sequential change in slat widthprovides each slat the clearance to enable game board 10 to fold uponitself in a form that is compact and has a profile that is nearly aperfect square. In some aspects, the slats of the folded game board 10lie flat against each other with no gaps between the slats. The initialslat 12 has a predetermined width and the following six slats, which areslats 14-24, are reduced in width by pairs. That is, slat 14 and 16 arereduced to a similar width that is less than slat 12; slats 18 and 20are reduced to a similar width that is less than slats 14 and 16; andslats 22 and 24 are reduced to a similar width that is less than slats18 and 20. The final slat, slat 26, is reduced slightly to a width thatis thinner than slats 22 and 24. Coupling the reduction in width amongthe middle set of slats in pairs, is one way to enable game board 10 tofold tightly around case 40 to form a compact generally rectangular formwith a profile that is almost perfectly square.

Slat 12 has closing element 30, which is imbedded in the end of theright side of slat 12, and closing element 32, which is imbedded in theend of the left side of slat 12. Slat 26 has closing element 34, whichis imbedded in the end of the right side of slat 26, and closing element36, which is imbedded in the end of the left side of slat 26. Closingelements 30, 32, 34 and 36 can be constructed of either a ferromagneticmaterial, i.e., material that is attracted to a magnet, or a permanentmagnetic material. Metals such as iron or nickel or alloys composed ofthose metals would be superior choices for ferromagnetic substances, butother metallic material can be substituted. Excellent choices forpermanent magnetic materials include magnetized metals, ceramic magnets,or other magnetized materials known to one of ordinary skill in the art.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the back of game board 10 completelyunfolded with a portion of backing 38 folded back to reveal closingelement 34. Outlines of closing elements 30, 32, 34 and 36 reveal thepreferred location of those elements. Preferably, closing elements 30and 32 can be imbedded within slat 12 near the ends of the slat, andclosing elements 34 and 36 can be imbedded within slat 26 near the endsof that slat. Alternatively, these closing elements can also be disposedat any other position on slats 12 and 26, or disposed on other slatsentirely. Shallow recesses, which are a depth that is roughly equivalentto the thickness of the closing elements, can be used to retain theclosing elements within slats 12 and 26. The closing elements can besecured within the recesses using an adhesive or another attachmentmeans that would be known to one or ordinary skill in the art. Backing38 is secured over top the imbedded closing elements. Opening tab 28 isshown attached at the middle of a longitudinal edge of slat 12. In someaspects, opening tab 28 is adhered to slat 12 and backing 38 is adheredover tab 28. Thus, backing 38 can be used as a primary or supplementalsecuring means for tab 28 or the closing elements attached to game board10.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the left side of case 40, absent gameboard 10, with empty compartments 46 and 48. Closing elements 60 and 62are shown imbedded within the left side of case 40 at the ends of theleft side distal to each other. Lining 58, which covers the entiresurface of compartment 46 and 48, is preferably made from a softmaterial that can absorb shock and protect the contents placed with thecompartments. Representative materials that can adequately be used aslining 58 include such products as foam rubber, felt, rubber, cork,fabric etc., but lining 58 is not limited to those materials. Separatingthe compartments is divider 56 which can be a hard plastic insert thatis surrounded by a soft material that is similar what has been describedabove for lining 58. Divider 56 can also be constructed entirely of amaterial like foam rubber, or various other materials. Implementingdivider 56 is optional and it should be appreciated that in someinstances it may be preferable that case 40 be undivided, or that case40 include a plurality of dividers 56. Case 40 can be constructed of amaterial like plastic, but case 40 is in no way limited to just thatmaterial. Other possible alternatives like wood, metal, acrylics, etc.can be substituted, but case 40 is in no way limited to those materials.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the right side of case 40 with gamepieces 50 placed inside compartments 46 and 48. Closing elements 52 and54 are disposed on the top of case 40 distal to each other and are shownimbedded within the top of case 40 within recesses that have a depthequal to the thickness of the closing elements. Closing elements 52 and54 are operatively arranged to magnetically interact with closingelements 30, 32, 34 and 36 that are imbedded within game board 10. Theposition at which game board 10 is magnetically attached to case 40 willdetermine which closing elements interact with each other. On the rightside of case 40 are another set of closing elements, specificallyclosing elements 64 and 66, which are also imbedded within case 40 atthe ends of the case distal to each other. All closing elements used ingame board 10 and case 40 are constructed of either a ferromagneticmaterial, i.e., material that is attracted to a magnet, or a permanentmagnetic material. Metals such as iron or nickel or alloys composed ofthose metals would be superior choices for ferromagnetic substances, butother metallic material can be substituted. Excellent choices forpermanent magnetic materials include magnetized metals, ceramic magnets,or other magnetized materials known to one of ordinary skill in the art.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the bottom of case 40 partially shown inFIG. 3 with game board 10 absent. Closing elements 68 and 70 aredisposed on the bottom of case 40 and are operatively arranged tointeract magnetically with closing elements 30, 32, 34 and 36 on gameboard 10. The arrangement best suited to provide the magneticinteraction that will sufficiently magnetically attach game board 10 tocase 40 is to position closing elements 52, 54, 60, 62, 64, 66, 68 and70 near the ends of case 40 proximate to end caps 42 and 44. Disposingclosing elements on each end of the surfaces of case 40 facilitates thatgame board 10 will be magnetically attachable to case 40 at multiplelocations. Arranging the closing elements on each surface of 40 alsoprovides that game board 10 will resist unintentional removal of gameboard 10 from case 40. Although, the positioning of the closing elementsdescribed above is a preferred arrangement, variations in the locationof closing elements 52, 54, 60, 62, 64, 66, 68 and 70 can includedisposing the closing elements at any position on case 40.

FIG. 10 is a vertical cross section view of game board 10 closed andfolded around case 40, as shown in FIG. 1, taken generally at line10-10. Closing elements 52, 60, 66 and 68 are shown imbedded within case40 proximate to end cap 42. While the closing elements are shownimbedded within recesses in case 40 it should be appreciated that otherattachment arrangements for closing elements 52, 54, 60, 62, 64, 66, 68and 70 are possible and are within the spirit and scope of theinvention. For example, closing elements 52, 54, 60, 62, 64, 66, 68 and70 can be attached to the exterior surface of case 40, or in recesses incase 40, with an adhesive or an attachment means such as a brad, stapleor nail. Another possible alternative attachment means for securing theclosing elements to case 40 is using Velcro™ or hook and loop patchesthat are secured to the closing element and case 40. Closing elements52, 54, 60, 62, 64, 66, 68 and 70 can be attached to the surface of case40, or if imbedded in recesses they can be secured with an adhesive orsimilar attachment means known to one of ordinary skill in the art. Insome aspects, the case closing elements are truly imbedded, meaning thatthey are not visible because they are hidden under a superficial layerof case 40. Closing elements 52, 54, 60, 62, 64, 66, 68 and 70 on case40 secure game board 10 to case 40 preferably by magnetic interactionwith game board closing elements 30, 32, 34 and 36. Both sets of closingelements on case 40 and game board 10 are operatively arranged to alignwith each other when game board 10 is folded around case 40. As shown inFIG. 10, closing element 60, on the left side of case 40 is aligned overclosing element 36 disposed on slat 26 of the lower right corner on gameboard 10 (see FIG. 6). Alternatively, if slat 26 was secured to thebottom of case 40, closing element 68 would be aligned with closingelement 36. Thus, the position that slat 26 is attached to case 40 isopen to the discretion of the user and as a result can be attached tothe left side, right side, bottom or top of case 40. Preferably eachclosing element disposed on case 40 is operatively arranged to alignwith the closing elements disposed on game board 10.

In some aspects, slat 26 is attached first to case 40 by the magneticinteraction of closing elements 52, 60, 66 or 68 with closing element 36on one side of slat 26, and the magnetic interaction of closing elements54, 62, 64 or 70 with closing element 34 on the other side of slat 26.The next slat that is folded around case 40 is slat 24, which as shownis flat against the bottom surface of case 40 resting against case body40 a. As shown, there are closing elements disposed on slats 26 and 12.However, closing elements can be disposed on each slat (not shown).Disposing closing elements on both the ends of each slat can facilitatea more secure attachment of game board 10 to case 40. In the embodimentshown, closing elements are not disposed on slats 14-24 and those slatsmerely lie upon the surface of case body 40 a of case 40. Slat 22 isshown abutting the right side of case 40. Slat 20 is shown abutting thetop of case 40. Slat 20 also serves as the portion of game board 10 thatfunctions as a covering for compartments 46 and 48, which secures gamepieces 50 inside the case. Following the folding of slat 20 on to case40, slat 18 is folded onto case 40 overlapping slat 26. Each slat afterthis point is also overlapping another previously folded slat as well asbeing folded around case 40. The final slat to be folded onto case 40,slat 12, is overlapping slat 20. Closing element 32, which is disposedon the upper left corner of slat 12, is aligned with closing element 52,which is disposed on the top of case 40. The alignment of closingelements on case 40 and game board 10 is variable and depends uponwhether the first slat is attached to the top, bottom, left side orright side of case 40. Thus, the configuration of game board 10 withcase 40 as shown in FIG. 10 is only one arrangement of many that arepossible.

In a preferred embodiment, game board 10 has slats that areprogressively greater in width. One slat, which is designated as thethinnest slat, is preferably attached first to case 40. As shown in FIG.10, slat 26 is the thinnest slat that is first attached to case 40first. Gradually the slats are folded upon case 40 and progressively thewidth of the slats increases. For instance, slat 24 is slightly largerthan slat 26. In an ideal embodiment, the width of successive slats isonly incrementally larger and the increase in width only occurs forevery other slat, excluding the first and last slats which do not followthis exemplary pattern. For instance, slat 26 is the thinnest slatfollowed by two slats, slats 24 and 22, which are slightly wider thanslat 26, but are similar in width with each other. Slats 20 and 18 wouldbe slightly wider than slats 24 and 22, but would be similar in width toeach other. That pattern continues until slat 12, which would be thefinal slat, would be the widest slat on game board 10. This pattern ofincrementally increasing the width of successive slats provides a gameboard that can be folded compactly around case 40 without any gapsbetween each folded slat and case 40. This pattern in slat size also canenable game board 10 to be folded into compact rectangular form with anearly square profile.

Thus, it is seen that the objects of the present invention areefficiently obtained, although modifications and changes to theinvention should be readily apparent to those having ordinary skill inthe art, and these modifications are intended to be within the spiritand scope of the invention as claimed.

1. A collapsible game board comprising: a plurality of rectangularshaped sections joined side by side at a lengthwise edge by at least oneflexible member; wherein said flexible member enables said sections tobe folded into a generally rectangular shape with a hollow cavitytherethrough; and a plurality of closing elements attached to said gameboard, each of said plurality of closing elements are operativelyarranged to magnetically interact to secure said game board in a foldedconfiguration.
 2. The collapsible game board of claim 1, wherein saidrectangular shaped sections are progressively greater in width, whereina first section has a width that is less than successive sections. 3.The collapsible game board of claim 1, wherein said closing elements aremagnetic.
 4. The collapsible game board of claim 1, wherein said closingelements are ferromagnetic.
 5. The collapsible game board of claim 1,further comprising an opening tab attached to a longitudinal edge ofsaid game board.
 6. The collapsible game board of claim 1, wherein saidrectangular shaped sections have a game design imprinted on one side. 7.The collapsible game board of claim 6, wherein said flexible member is aplurality of strips of flexible material adhered at a joint where saidlengthwise edge of said rectangular shaped sections meet, wherein saidflexible material is adhered on said rectangular shaped sectionsopposite said game design.
 8. The collapsible game board of claim 6,wherein said flexible member comprises a single sheet of flexiblematerial adhered to the back of all said rectangular shaped sections onthe side opposite the game design.
 9. The collapsible game board ofclaim 1, further comprising a case that said game board is folded aroundand that resides within said hollow cavity.
 10. The collapsible gameboard of claim 9, wherein said case has two enlarged cap portionsfixedly attached to the ends of said case.
 11. The collapsible gameboard of claim 9, wherein said case has at least one compartment. 12.The collapsible game board of claim 11, further comprising game pieces.13. The collapsible game board of claim 12, wherein said game pieces arechess pieces.
 14. The collapsible game board of claim 12, wherein saidgame pieces are checker pieces.
 15. The collapsible game board of claim9, wherein said case further comprises closing elements attached to saidcase and operatively arranged to magnetically interact with said closingelements disposed on said game board.
 16. The collapsible game board ofclaim 15, wherein said closing elements disposed on said game board areoperatively arranged to magnetically interact with said closing elementsdisposed on said case.
 17. The collapsible game board of claim 15,wherein said closing elements on said case are magnetic.
 18. Thecollapsible game board of claim 15, wherein said closing elements onsaid case are ferromagnetic.
 19. The collapsible game board of claim 15,wherein said game board is magnetically attachable to said case.
 20. Acollapsible game board comprising: a plurality of rectangular shapedsections joined side by side at a lengthwise edge by at least oneflexible member; wherein said flexible member enables said sections tobe folded into a generally rectangular shape with a hollow cavitytherethrough; wherein said rectangular shaped sections are progressivelygreater in width, wherein a first section has a width that is less thansuccessive sections; and, a plurality of closing elements attached tosaid game board each of said plurality of closing elements areoperatively arranged to magnetically interact to secure said game boardin a folded configuration.